(יא) וְשָׂמַחְתָּ֣ בְכָל־הַטּ֗וֹב אֲשֶׁ֧ר נָֽתַן־לְךָ֛ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ וּלְבֵיתֶ֑ךָ אַתָּה֙ וְהַלֵּוִ֔י וְהַגֵּ֖ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּקִרְבֶּֽךָ׃ (ס)
Think Tank
And you must enjoy the delicious nandos double chicken burger that your mom ordered you (with extra perinase ofcourse)
...
Obviously you will enjoy it? why would you have to be told to enjoy it?
And how can you be told what to FEEL?
...
The farmer just had the best harvest and has arrived in Jerusalem with his first fruits. He already feels terrific. So why must the Torah specify a new positive command — be happy with all that G-d gave you?
A person could come up to Jerusalem with many Bikurim and still be thinking to himself "it could have been better!" He could be jealously looking at his neighbor's fruits and thinking, "he had a better crop than I did". Unfortunately, one can be blessed with so much and yet choose not to be happy. Therefore, as part of the mitzvah of Bikurim, The Torah commands that we should be appreciative. We must look at what we have and be happy about what we have.
(מז) תַּ֗חַת אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹא־עָבַ֙דְתָּ֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ בְּשִׂמְחָ֖ה וּבְט֣וּב לֵבָ֑ב מֵרֹ֖ב כֹּֽל...
(47) Because you would not serve the LORD your God in joy and gladness over the abundance of everything, (''Rov kol'')
Think Tank
These two words (‘rov’ and ‘kol’) should remind us of an earlier passage in the Torah.
...
Where else in the Torah do you remember someone not being satisfied with what they have?
(ט) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר עֵשָׂ֖ו יֶשׁ־לִ֣י רָ֑ב אָחִ֕י יְהִ֥י לְךָ֖ אֲשֶׁר־לָֽךְ׃
(9) Esau said, “I have plenty (''enough"), my brother; let what you have remain yours.”
while Yaakov says:
(יא) קַח־נָ֤א אֶת־בִּרְכָתִי֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֻבָ֣את לָ֔ךְ כִּֽי־חַנַּ֥נִי אֱלֹהִ֖ים וְכִ֣י יֶשׁ־לִי־כֹ֑ל וַיִּפְצַר־בּ֖וֹ וַיִּקָּֽח׃
(11) Please accept my present which has been brought to you, for God has favored me and I have everything.” And when he urged him, he accepted.
The difference between an Eisav and a Yaakov is that however much Eisav possesses, he only sees it as “plenty”. Yaakov, however, recognizes that what he has is, in fact, “kol” – everything that he needs.
The pasuk from devarim that we read earlier is explaining that the source of a person’s unhappiness is “m’rov kol” — the fact that he views all the good things that he possesses as only “plenty”, in the same way that Eisav viewed his possessions. Anytime a person thinks that he does not have “kol” [everything], he will never be happy. The greatest amount of “rov kol” [plenty] will never make a person happy, as the Talmud teaches, “One who has one hundred wants two hundred”.
How many times have you wanted that new iphone, that new laptop, that new edition of 'Fortnight', and then when you got it, a week or two later you wanted MORE
(א) בֶּן זוֹמָא אוֹמֵר, אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם, הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קיט) מִכָּל מְלַמְּדַי הִשְׂכַּלְתִּי כִּי עֵדְוֹתֶיךָ שִׂיחָה לִּי. אֵיזֶהוּ גִבּוֹר, הַכּוֹבֵשׁ אֶת יִצְרוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי טז) טוֹב אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם מִגִּבּוֹר וּמשֵׁל בְּרוּחוֹ מִלֹּכֵד עִיר. אֵיזֶהוּ עָשִׁיר, הַשָּׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קכח) יְגִיעַ כַּפֶּיךָ כִּי תֹאכֵל אַשְׁרֶיךָ וְטוֹב לָךְ. אַשְׁרֶיךָ, בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה. וְטוֹב לָךְ, לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא.
(1) Ben Zoma says: Who is the wise one? He who learns from all men, as it says, "I have acquired understanding from all my teachers" (Psalms 119:99). Who is the mighty one? He who conquers his impulse, as it says, "slowness to anger is better than a mighty person and the ruler of his spirit than the conqueror of a city." (Proverbs 16:32). Who is the rich one? He who is happy with his lot, as it says, "When you eat [from] the work of your hands, you will be happy, and it will be well with you" (Psalms 128:2).
So This is a possible definition of happiness according to what we just learnt:
Being grateful and happy with what you have. Realising just how blessed you are.
But is this a commandment/Mitsvah, and if so, how can we be commanded to FEEL something????And if you can’t get there? Then what? You’re a sinner for feeling heartbroken or blue that day?
Here are other well-known places in the Torah where Hashem instructs us to feel Happiness, and one of these places will help us arrive to our possible answer (always feel free to disagree):
The Torah instructs;
"'V’samachta b’hagecha" "'you shall be joyful in your festival" ) (Deutronomy 16:13)
“Ivdu Et Hashem BeSimchah,” “Serve Hashem with happiness” (Tehillim 100:2)
(13) After the ingathering from your threshing floor and your vat, you shall hold the Feast of Booths for seven days. (14) You shall rejoice in your festival, with your son and daughter, your male and female slave, the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow in your communities. (15) You shall hold a festival for the LORD your God seven days, in the place that the LORD will choose; for the LORD your God will bless all your crops and all your undertakings, and you shall have nothing but joy.
Think Tank:
1. Count how many things (instructions) Hashem commands us to to in these few passukim
2. Hashem is apparently commanding us to feel happy, so why is He telling us now to do a whole lot of physical things?
This commandment isn’t to “feel joyful,” but rather to do things that make you happy (ofcourse within the guidelines of Halacha).
We all have evenings when we feel miserable and want to hide at home under the bed. But sometimes the doing leads to the feeling (Naaseh Venishma) — sometimes when we pull ourselves out, put on some presentable clothing and go socialise, go to EQT(lol), go to school events etc, we discover that being out in a community, being together with friends or family in a loving space does, in fact, raise our spirits. Sometimes getting out in the world and enjoying what the world has to offer can bring us to this feeling of happiness.
This is emphasising the importance of taking control of your life and MAKINNG it a happy life.
It is not a commandment to 'FEEL happy', but rather to TAKE PRACTICAL STEPS IN ORDER TO FEEL HAPPY.
When the month of Adar enters, we increase in joy. -Talmud, Taanit 29a
Final Think Tank:
Taking into account everything that we've learnt, what does this passuk now mean to you?